Stock-salter



, (No Model.)

' S. O. JOHNSON.

STOCK SALTER.

No. 322,378. Patented Jul 14,1885.

r esaea N. PEIERS. Hula-Lithographer, walhlngioll D C UNITED STATESPATENT Orrr'cs'.

SAMUEL U; JOHNSON, OF KENOSHA, WISCONSIN.

STOCK-SALTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 322,378, dated July 1%,1885.-

Application filed September 1, 1884. (No model.)

T 0 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SAMUEL O. JoHNsoN, residing at Kenosh a, in thecounty of Kenosha and State of Wisconsin, and a citizen of the UnitedStates, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Stock-Salters, ofwhich the following is a full description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in which- 7 Figure 1 is a top view Fig. 2, afront elevation; Fig. 3, a vertical section at line no of Fig. 2 5 Fig.4, an inside view of the cover; Fig. 5, a section at line 3 of Fig. 2,looking up 5 and Fig. 6 a section at line z of Fig. 2, looking down.

My invention relates to that class of stocksalters which have a loosepiece designed to be moved by the animal. Its leading object is toprovide a loose ball in connection with a salt-receiver, which isadapted to be placed in a stall or other place, the ball being soarranged that the animal will move it while taking salt, which Iaccomplish as illustrated in the drawings.

That which I suppose to be new will be set forth in the claims.

In the drawings, A is a receptacle for salt and a ball-holder. The upperpartof A,which is the salt-receptacle proper, is inclosed on four sides,and the lower part, which receives and holds the ball, is open upon oneside, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 6.

B is a base piece to which the two side pieces, a a, and the rear piece,b, of the saltreceptacle and ball-holder are permanently secured. Thisbase is inclined, and is considerably larger than the receptacle A. Asshown, itis hollowed out beneath and in front of the all.

e is the front of the salt-receptacle proper.

The pieces a a b c are secured together by nails or screws. These fourpieces are grooved on the inside, as shown at d in Fig. 5.

O is a ball of such size that it can be inserted at the top of thereceptacle, the space inclosed by the pieces a a b 0 being large enoughto receive it. The ball must be of such diameter that it cannot escapethrough the opening at the front of the ball-holder. As shown, the ballenters the recessed portions 01 in the side pieces, a a, and hencecannot escape. If the interior of these side pieces were made straightit would be necessary to provide other means for preventing the ballfrom escaping, which could be done by placing short projecting strips orcolumns upon the front edgesof the side pieces, a.

As shown in the drawings, the lower end of the rear piece, b, isprovided with additional grooves e, to facilitate the passage of saltbehind the ball.

h is a slide located j ust above theball-holder. As shown, it isprovided with a notch, t, into which the fingers. may be placed topartially withdraw it. This slide forms the bottom of thesalt-receptacle proper. i

My device is adapted to be 'used in salting a single animal or a numberof animals. It is to be secured in a vertical position .by screws orbelts or in any suitable manner, in any convenient place, either in astall or other place. It is adapted to. housed in different Ways. Aquantity of salt may be placed in the receptacle proper, and as often asmay be desired a small portion of salt may be permitted to pass from thereceptacle to the rear of the ball in the ball-holder by partiallydrawing out the slide it and then closing it again. The animal desiringsalt will lick the ball and raise it a little and partially rotate it,and thus salt will be supplied gradually to the front of the ball. Someof the salt may pass down on the upper surface of the inclined base somewill stick to the ball. Any small lumpsof salt will be likely to bepulverized by the falling of the ball. If the slide he left partiallydrawn out the salt in the receptacle proper will gradually fall downbehind the ball until the receptacle is emptied, provided the salt doesnot become too hard, in which case it must be pulverized. In some casesthe slide it may be omitted entirely, and the device may be madesomewhat shorter than showmand then a small quantity of salt canoccasionally be poured in at the top, the cover being first removed.When used for a single animal, I think it preferable to use the slide,as first described, as the party in charge can then supply daily, or atother intervals, such quantity of salt as he may desire the animal tohave. When used for a number of animals, it may be advisable to leavethe slide partially open, or omit it entirely, and provide insteadthereof a fixed piece on the inside and in the front part of thereceptacle to direct the salt to the rear of the ball. The opening atthe front of the ball might be sufliciently large to allow it to escape,and the ball might be held in place by means of staples, with or withouta link, ora short chain might be used, but such construction would notbe desirable.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a stock-Salter, a'loose ball located in a case or ball-holderwhich is open upon one side, in combination with a salt-receiver fromwhich salt can flow to the chamber containing the ball, substantially asand for the purpose specified.

SAMUEL O. JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

E. A. WEST, ALBERT H. ADAMS.

